Prescriptions

Importance of Getting Blood Tests for certain medications 

Blood tests are a crucial part of monitoring when you are on certain medications. These tests help ensure that the medication is working effectively and safely. Here are some key reasons why regular blood tests are important: 

– Safety: Certain medications can sometimes cause side effects that may not be immediately noticeable. Blood tests can detect these early, allowing for timely intervention. 

– Effectiveness: Blood tests help to confirm that the medication is having the desired effect on your condition. This ensures that you are receiving the correct dosage. 

– Adjustments: If the blood tests show that the medication levels are too high or too low, our clinicians can adjust the dosage to optimise treatment. 

– Prevent Complications: Regular monitoring can prevent serious complications by catching potential issues before they become severe. 

By keeping up with your blood tests, you are taking an active role in managing your health and ensuring that your treatment is as safe and effective as possible. 

Why have you reduced the quantity of medication I receive? 

If you do not get the recommended blood tests, we may decide to reduce your medication quantity. This is because without the test results, we cannot be certain that the medication is safe for you at the current dose. Regular monitoring helps us to: 

– Check for any potential side effects. 

– Ensure the medication is having the desired effect. 

– Adjust the dosage if necessary to maintain your health and safety. As a result, we will need to reduce the quantity of your medication until you have completed the required blood tests. Once you have had the blood tests, we will be able to return your medication quantity to normal levels. 

How do I get back to the normal amount of medication I used to get? 

Please schedule your blood tests as soon as possible to avoid any disruption in your treatment. 

From the 1 April 2023, the Government launced the HRT Pre-Payment Certificate (PPC) to reduce prescription costs for women receiving Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

The HRT PPC will be available to buy in one single payment online at www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/hrt-ppc, or in-person at some pharmacies. You can call 0300 330 2089 for help and support.

Before buying an HRT PPC, you should check if:

• you’re eligible for free NHS prescriptions using the eligibility checker: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/check
• your medicine is covered by the HRT PPC. For a list of eligible HRT medication, visit: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/hrt-ppc-medicines
• a 3 or 12 month PPC is more suitable. It covers all NHS prescriptions, not just HRT items. Visit: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/ppc

These charges apply in England only. In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales prescriptions are free of charge.

• Prescription (per item): £9.65
• 3-month PPC: £31.25
• 12-month prepayment certificate (PPC): £111.60

If you will have to pay for four or more prescription items in three months, or more than 15 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a PPC.

• PPC Telephone advice and order line 0845 850 0030
• General Public – Buy or Renew a PPC On-line

Take it to the pharmacy you got it from or bring it in to the surgery. Do not put it in your household bin or flush it down the toilet.

An emergency prescription will be made available if you find you have run out of medication. Bring your medication bottle or computer slip to reception – a telephone consultation may not be necessary, however you may be required to return at a later time in order for the prescription to be processed.

Please do your best to ensure you do not run out of medication. Evidence shows that most prescribing errors occur when prescriptions are requested as emergencies. Safe prescribing is of the utmost importance to us and although we will do our best to supply a prescription as soon as possible we have to ensure that errors are kept to an absolute minimum. You may therefore have to return to the surgery to collect the emergency prescription.

Studies in the UK and abroad have shown significant savings and a reduction in waste with 28-day prescribing.

Please watch the below video where our Clinical Pharmacists, Graham and Bianca explain how batch prescribing works.

To make it easier for you to collect your medications on a 28 or 56 day cycle we shall be issuing prescriptions of regular medications using “Batch Prescribing also known as Repeat Dispensing”.

Your doctor will provide you with a prescription for an interval that they believe to be most clinically appropriate for you, taking into account all sort of issues, such as how stable your condition is, how long they expect you to take the medicine for, any side effects you may experience, whether or not your medicine may change in the future, and any monitoring required. For some patients on certain medicines at a stable dose (e.g. contraceptives & HRT), your doctor may decide it is appropriate to issue prescriptions for prescribing intervals longer than 56 days and for medicines that are taken “as required” or for creams and certain inhalers your medicines may only be available on the normal repeat basis when you will make the request in the usual way either via the NHS app, our online services or in writing by post.

Batch or Repeat Dispensing will allow your GP to issue up to 12 months of medicines that you are taking on a regular basis in one go. This will be sent to your pharmacy electronically. When you are about to run out of your medicines towards the end of the 28 or 56 day cycle all you need to do is contact your pharmacy for a further one month’s supply without the need to contact your surgery. Pharmacies have slightly different processes for this so please discuss with your pharmacy.

You will of course still have to comply with NHS regulations for a periodic, usually annual, medication review and any regular checks up that you may need.

This policy is at the discretion of individual doctors to be implemented when appropriate for suitable patients.

Most patients collecting repeat prescriptions do not pay prescription charges; therefore there will be no difference to these patients in terms of cost due to 28-day prescribing. If you do have to pay prescription charges, then it may be beneficial for you to buy a Prescription Prepayment Certificate especially if you are taking 3 or more medicines on a regular basis – ask your pharmacist for more information or contact the NHS Business Services Authority on 0845 850 0030.

For more information on how this works, please see the Repeat Dispensing Scheme Patient Information Leaflet.

You may wish to purchase a pre-payment certificate. For more information, please see www.gov.uk/get-a-ppc.